You and I
by ScarletNox140
Summary: "We could do it, you know," "What?" "Leave the district. Run off. Live in the woods. You and I, we could make it. I'm sorry, Katniss. I have to go." What if Katniss and Gale actually did leave District 12 on the morning of the Reaping?
1. Maybe

I stand on the threshold, hunting bag in hand, looking back at the soft bulges beneath the one, thin blanket on the bed. Rory, Vick and little Posy. Huddling together for warmth. Anger and hate of the Capitol swells up inside of me, the urge to run, to take them all away from this horrible place that we call home. I can't stand to watch them lie there, soft and innocent, not on this day. Not today. Rory's first Reaping. I turn on my heel and leave, with slight orange streaks beginning to peek out into the dark sky. The Seam is usually packed with coal miners at this time, heading out to the morning shift. Hunched over, the coal dust eternally stuck in their cracked nails, and the lines of their gaunt skin. But today, not one person is to be found on the streets. Reaping Day. It doesn't start until two, so it's best to sleep in. Or wake up screaming from the nightmares.

I walk silently along the edges of the crumbling streets, exceptionally aware of all the rundown walls and broken shutters, until I reach the square. This is the merchant side of town, for those with enough food and money to not have to take tesserae. This is the Capitol's way of dividing us, to prevent another rebellion. I knock on the back door of the bakery. Five minutes later I leave, my bag one squirrel lighter and one loaf of bread heavier. I stick the sharp point of an arrow into its center, smiling to myself, and knowing for sure that Katniss will appreciate the humor. As the sun slowly rises above the horizon, I begin to run towards the Meadow.

I live in the Seam of District 12, the poorest part of the poorest District. Separating the Meadow from the woods – in fact, enclosing all of our District – is a high chain-link fence topped with loops of barbed wire. It's supposed to be electrified 24 hours of the day to "protect" the residents from the predators that used to threaten our streets, but as we barely get 2 hours of electricity a day, it's usually safe to touch. District 12. Where you can starve to death in safety.

Hunting is the way I learned to survive in a land of poverty after the death of my father in a mine explosion. Five years ago, when I was 13. Sometimes I have trouble remembering the sound of his voice. I climb up the hill and stand atop the rock ledge, protected by a thicket of berry bushes. Our place. Hands in my pockets and the wind ruffling my hair, I look out over the valley and to the mountains beyond. Maybe we really can leave.


	2. I Have To Go

I hear the snap of a branch behind me, signifying her arrival. Katniss. I turn around and see her smile. She never smiles, except in the woods. "Hey, Catnip." Her real name is Katniss, but when she first told me, I'd thought she said Catnip. Then one day when we were hunting, a crazy lynx started following her around in the woods for scraps, it became my official nickname for her. The memory brings a slight smile to my face as we sit down together in a little nook in the rocks. I dig through my hunting bag and bring out the bread. "Look what I shot," I say, and she laughs.

"Mm, still warm. What did it cost you?" she asks, inhaling the fragrance from the puncture hole.

"Just a squirrel. Think the old man was feeling sentimental this morning." Aren't we all? "Even wished me luck." The thought of the Reaping, of Rory's name being picked, is what strengthens my resolve. I know that Katniss loves Prim, and that she would do anything to protect her from the Games. But then again… Prim in the woods? My determination crumbles again as I imagine what might happen to dear Posy, living out in the woods.

"We could do it, you know," I say, looking out to the distant hills.

"What?" she asks, confusion evident in her voice.

"Leave the district. Run off. Live in the woods. You and I, we could make it." And I really believe we can. But… the idea must seem so… preposterous to her. How could I ask her to leave Prim, the only person in the world she loves? And what of my own family? My mother, who struggles to scrape together enough money and food for us. Rory, who is fiercely protective of all of us, and who could possibly be reaped today. Vick, the selfless young one who falls sick much too often. And little Posy, my sweet baby angel, whom I adore far too much to let go of. I can't leave them behind. But I know that they might not survive if I take them along.

But at the same time… I know that staying here is just as dangerous as not.

"If we didn't have so many kids," I quickly amend.

"I never want to have kids," says Katniss.

"I might. If I didn't live here," I respond. I might not live here for much longer.

"But you do," she snaps, irritated.

I can't help it any more. "Katniss, I don't know about our families, but can't you see that staying here might as well be more dangerous than leaving? Just think! We can do nothing to fight the Reapings, or the Games, or the Capitol, but at least out there we stand a chance! I would never forgive myself for watching one of them in the Games, knowing that I could have done something to save them! I just can't take it anymore."

I look at Katniss, the one who has always been by my side, ever since the day it happened. What a pair we were. Fatherless, frightened… but fiercely determined as well. She had lost her own father in the same explosion as I did mine, two years younger than I. My heart starts to shatter, but she needs to know this. That I have to leave, whether or not I have to leave her behind. I force the words out.

"I'm sorry, Katniss. But I have to go."


	3. Wouldn't She?

I fidget nervously as I stand, once again, in Our Place. It feels lonely and deserted without the one with whom I share it. As my eyes once again sweep the valley, it saddens me to think that I may never see this view again. But the nervous excitement sends adrenaline coursing through my veins, driving away my nostalgia and reminding me that we don't have much time before we are discovered by the Peacekeepers.

"Gale?" It's Rory. He looks frightened, pale in the afternoon sun. I turn. "It's Reaping Day. Won't the Peacekeepers notice that we're not there?"

I jump down from the ledge, feeling guilty for everything I've had to put them through, and walk over to my family. Rory, Vick and my mother stand huddled together, Posy wrapped in a blanket in my mother's arms.

"They will, Rory, but we're going to be long gone by then," I say with a smile, but the lack of conviction in my voice seems to speak louder than my words.

"Gale, it's almost time for the Reaping to start. We have to go. Now." My mother moves over to stand with me, and puts a loving arm around my shoulders. "I know you want her to come with us, but it's her decision. Maybe she's staying."

Red-hot anger courses through me; I shrug off her arm and storm away to the edge of the clearing. No. She will come. I know she will, I can feel it. She would do anything to protect Prim from the Reaping. Wouldn't she?

Seconds turn into minutes, and the minutes just keep adding up. Every moment feels like time wasted; every second counts when you don't have many to spare.

My restlessness builds, and I start to pace the clearing. But every few steps brings a change of heart and mind, and my thoughts are clouded over by anxiety.

I sit down with Rory and Vick for inventory, to help me take my mind off of things. I smile at them.

"What did we bring?"

The two of them start off on a long list. "… and then we brought some cooking oil, and a pan, and we sneaked off some coal, but we didn't bring any food, 'cuz you and Katniss are gonna hunt for us. Oh, and then we brought…" I start to tune them out as my thoughts begin to wander. Good hunting partners have always been hard to find, but Katniss and I are a natural team. It's almost impossible to find as good of a partner as she is for me.

Every time I hear the rustle of a leaf or the snap of a branch I whirl around, expecting to see Katniss standing there. But she never does come. Eventually, it all boils down to this: my family… or Katniss?

The sun tells me that it's almost two o'clock. I've wasted too much time here. I stand up, and start to move through the trees.

"We've waited too long. She's not coming. Let's go." I know the way to the lake. I clearly remember the day that Katniss showed it to me…

_It is a hot, summer day in the middle of summer. Katniss and I have just met in the woods. We walk together with our bows and knives._

"_What do you want to do today?" I ask her. We can hunt or gather._

"_Hmm… there's actually something that I want to show you, Gale. No one knows about it except me… and my dad." Before I can ask her what she's talking about, she turns around and starts jogging away from the fence. When she's almost out of sight, she turns around and beckons me over. I shrug, and run after her before she disappears into the trees._

_It's a good hour or two before we finally reach. By that time, we have caught two squirrels, a rabbit and two birds that Katniss shot on our way. We also discovered a new patch of greens that I set up snares around._

_When I look up and see what Katniss brought me all this way to see, my breath catches in my throat. It's a gorgeous, sparkling lake that stretches all the way to the far horizon, where I can see the sun beginning to set. As I look around, I see an old, dilapidated wooden house._

"_It's… perfect," I say, and I turn to look at her. Right now, standing with her and watching the sunset over a sparkling lake, I can't possibly imagine a better day. And I realize… maybe there's more between us than just hunting partners. Maybe even more than friendship._

_Maybe we have something more._

"Hey. You." The voice slices through my thoughts like a razor sharp blade. I stop, and turn to catch a glimpse of whoever it is that stands behind me. "Going somewhere?"


	4. The Reaping

The clock strikes two. The mayor steps up, begins to read. The same story as every other year since the end of the Dark Days. The history of Panem, rising out of the ashes of the ruins of North America, thirteen districts surrounding the shining Capitol. The disasters, the droughts, the storms, the fires, the seas that swallowed up the ancient land, the brutal war for control of what little remained. This was the result.

Then came the Dark Days, the uprising of the districts, led by 13, against the Capitol. Twelve were defeated, and the thirteenth obliterated. The Treaty of Treason created new laws that guarantee "peace", with a yearly reminder that the rebellion must never happen again, it made the Hunger Games.

The rules of the Hunger Games are simple: In punishment for the uprising, each of the twelve districts is forced to send one girl and one boy between the ages of 12 and 18, called tributes, to fight to the death in a vast outdoor arena – with no escape – with the tributes of the other districts. The last tribute standing is crowned the Victor.

The Capitol requires the districts to treat the Games as a festivity, a sporting event pitting each of the districts against the others. The last tribute alive wins a life of comfort and luxury, their district showered with riches and rewards, largely consisting of food. All year, every year, the Capitol bestows food upon the winning district while the rest slowly fall prey to starvation.

"It is both a time for repentance and a time for thanks," intones the mayor.

In the past 74 years, District 12 has had two victors, and only one of them is still alive. Haymitch Abernathy, a paunchy, drunken, middle-aged man, staggers onto the stage. Haymitch, confused, tries to give Effie Trinket (District 12's escort) a hug, which she barely manages to fend off.

The mayor, anxious to bring the attention of our nation back to the Reaping, introduces Effie Trinket, who trots up to the podium with her signature, "Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be _ever_ in your favor!"

It's time for the drawing. "Ladies first!" Effie says, and crosses to the glass ball with the girls' names. She reaches in, and pulls out a slip of paper. The crowd collectively draws a breath and all is absolutely silent in the square.

"Primrose Everdeen!"

**A/N:**

**This chapter was in the third person, so don't worry, Gale is NOT at the reaping.**

**Question: Who do you think is the person who spoke to Gale in the previous chapter? Let me know in a review or PM me!**

**Just wanted to let you know: I'm going on vacation this Saturday, so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to write there, but I'll do my best to get you another chapter next week! :)**


	5. Gone

**A/N**

**Sorry about the late update, but here it is, and I'll keep it consistent from now on!**

"Primrose Everdeen?" Effie repeats. The square in completely silent, every pair of eyes fixed on Effie's.

"Primrose? Come on up, dear!" She giggles nervously. "No need to be shy, dear, where are you?"

There is no response. Immediately a group of Peacekeepers runs off towards the Everdeen family house in the Seam. Effie rubs her hands together worriedly and moves back over to the microphone.

"Well, while we wait for our wonderful Peacekeepers to bring Ms. Everdeen over, we'll move on to the boys." Effie walks over to the other glass Reaping ball and plucks out a slip of paper. She moves back over to the microphone and, with much less bravado than before, opens it and squints at the print inside.

"Peeta Mellark!" she calls.

The sixteen-year-old boys around Peeta turn to him with artificial looks of sympathy that barely mask the obvious relief on their faces. Peeta himself looks around in shock, then slowly makes his way to his place beside Effie.

Shortly afterwards, one of the Peacekeepers jogs up to the stage and urgently whispers into Effie's ears. They were standing close enough to the microphone for the citizens to hear snatches of their conversation.

"…door….cat…scratch…..knock…tea boiling…EMPTY!"

"What?!" exclaims Effie with barely concealed horror.

"That's right. They're all…..gone."

**So… What dd you think? Sorry it's short, but I'll get you another chapter tomorrow!**


	6. You and I

**A/N**

**Just wanted to shout out to all the wonderful people who have supported me during this story…  
lisserboo: I am really glad you like it, and thanks for sticking with this story from the very beginning.  
mythology1476: Don't worry, I'm not killing Prim.  
AliceW: I'm glad you like it!  
MegsterTheVampire: Thanks!  
Also thanks to Clara Meliza, krikanalo, Firework7, and ImaginationStation00 for reviewing.**

*Gale POV*

"Now, turn around slowly and put your hands in the air," the voice continues.

I turn around to see the blinding flash of the sun off of a bright white uniform as my eyes focus on the immediate threat. A big, black gun.

"Now, I need…" the Peacekeeper's voice cuts off and her eyes widen. Blood trickles out of her open mouth, and she falls to her knees, thudding to the ground as her eyes slowly close. I see an arrow sticking out of her back and I slowly look up to see a girl holding an empty bow and a horrified expression as she looks down at the fallen Peacekeeper. Katniss.

Finally, she looks nervously up at me. "So, uh… What did I miss?"

Night has almost fallen by the time we reach the lake. Our families are sleeping in the old wooden cabin, but Katniss and I sit side by side on the edge of the lake, watching the sun go down. Her head rests on my shoulder, and we sit in silence.

"Gale?"

"Yes, Katniss?"

"What are we doing? Why did we leave? Where are we even going? We can't hide from the Capitol forever." She breaks off there, and looks away. "Did we make the right choice?"

Her words penetrate the haze that's been clouding my mind since the morning. I was just so focused on getting out of the district, on saving ourselves while we had the chance that I hadn't thought of anything past just running away. We may have been breaking the law and illegally hunting for the last five years, but… the appetites of those in charge gave us a form of protection that won't help us if we're caught now. Escaping the district… that's an unforgivable crime.

_Did I do the right thing?_

Katniss laughs nervously. "I'm sorry, Gale, I'm just… worried. Would it have been better to just face the Reaping? We have better chances of not getting reaped than escaping capture and prosecution. It's fine for a few hours of hunting a day, but living out here for months? For years on end? Always evading, never being able to have a normal life? Was it really worth it?"

I don't answer. I can't answer. I can't tell her that I have no answer, and that maybe I was wrong, and all we did was put our families in more danger than ever before. I think of Rory Vick and little baby Posy. I think of Prim, who can't bear to see anything in pain. _Was it really worth it?_

All I wanted to do was to protect them from the malevolent Capitol, but I can kiss that dream goodbye because I've just painted a big, fat red target on all of our backs. I don't want any of my loved ones to be hurt. But then… they already have been hurt, as much or even more than I have.

Losing my father at such a young age for Rory and Vick, and for my mother while she was pregnant with Posy. Little Posy who grew up without a father. My mother, having to start earning money to keep us alive right after Posy was born.

And Katniss and Prim… they lost their father in the same mine accident as my father. They watched as their mother fell into depression and Katniss took on the role of head of the family at the tender age of eleven. She did all that she could, but her family was slowly starving to death.

Then… came the woods. Our food, our medicine, our source of money. And… bringing us together.

"Katniss, at least we know that we did something. We protected our families, no matter how short it may last. AN act of rebellion, no matter how small. If a pair of kids from District 12 can escape and evade capture, what's to prevent the rest of the country from standing up? Maybe someday… the Hunger Games won't even exist anymore – and even if we're not around to see it, it would have been us. Just a small act, in the name of survival. But meaning so much more."

What a pair we were; young, fatherless… but fiercely determined too. I remember how hard it was for me to trust her, and for us to start – grudgingly – to share secrets of trade. She gave me a bow and taught me to shoot. I taught her to set snares and traps.

"Whatever happens, Katniss, we're here. Together. Telling the Capitol, telling the world that we can say no. and maybe that's what the world needs." I put my hand over hers. "You and I, Catnip."

She looks up, and smiles. "You and I."

"_One day, without either of us saying it, we became a team. Dividing the work and the spoils. Making sure that both of our families had food. I became a much better hunter when I didn't have to look over my shoulder constantly, when someone was watching my back. But she turned into so much more than a hunting partner. She became my confidant, someone with whom I could share thoughts I could never voice inside the fence. In exchange, she trusted me with hers. Being out in the woods with Katniss… sometimes I was actually happy."_

And maybe that's all I really need.


	7. On Guard

And so our life in the woods began. Hunting by day, camping by night; always running, always watching. Late nights to keep watch. Protecting the kids from – well, everything.

As I move swiftly through the woods, alert and tensed, I feel the safety of having my hunting partner. My _parabatai_. Watching my back so I don't have to glance over my shoulder. Alerting me, keeping me safe. _Protection_. Something I hadn't felt since my father died. Until I met Katniss.

Days turn into weeks, weeks into months. Running, constantly on the move, never staying in one place for more than a night. Every night for the first few weeks, we were forced to take cover under shelves of rock, between the branches of a hedge, or simply fall to the ground to hide from the hovercraft that pursued us so relentlessly.

Our efforts paid off, eventually. The search parties became fewer, so did the snatches of white uniforms and the sounds of rhythmic marching as we slipped through the trees.

Today dawns bright and sunny, birds chirping, but the rest of the animals eerily silent. I find it strange but am not perturbed: the hovercraft and Peacekeepers stopped hunting us down weeks ago. But I'm still cautious, and I am positive that Katniss is on her guard as well. "Be careful," is all we say to the others before we head out to hunt.

As soon as we are out of earshot, I turn to Katniss and raise my eyebrows. She shrugs in response and we move on. We don't do very well today, with all of the prey hiding away. But we hit a jackpot of rabbits on our snare runs and stumble upon a glade full of berries and greens. Still – not enough for our large group.

We return, disappointed, to our camp for the day, and look with satisfaction at its remains. Basically? Nothing.

Katniss and I have trained the group to perform various duties necessary for survival. Rory and Vick have learned to hunt, Prim and Posy to gather, and all of us to cook and break camp in under 5 minutes.

As Katniss leans to pick up some of the bags to carry as we prepare to move on, something strange happens. Something that has not happened in a long time. Something that brings back terrible memories.

The birds cease their song.

I wait, hope, and pray that it won't but it happens. The sound of the single bird's shrill cry has barely reached my ears when I shout, "Move!" and run. Run for your life, everyone. Run as if the whole world was on your tail. Chasing you. _Because it is._

I hear the sound of the hovercraft engine getting louder and louder and I know that we're out of time. I throw myself to the side just as I hear the _thunk_ of the metal net wrapping itself around the tree beside me. Gritting my teeth, I push myself up and run again, shaking blisters out of my hair, this time falling to the ground and rolling away as I hear the whine of silver flying at me.

I spare a moment to look over my shoulder at how the others are faring. Katniss is just fine, barely even breaking a sweat as she effortlessly dodges the Capitol's weapons. Our families seem all right as well, except that they're starting to back up towards each other.

_This can't be good_, I think, and sprint towards them. I tackle Vick and my mother just as a spear flashes through the spot where they had been standing just a moment before.

I am just congratulating myself as I push Prim into the hollow of a tree when I hear a shrill scream. Posy!

I whirl around, ready to save my baby sister from whatever poses her harm. But it's too late. She stretches a bloody hand through the barbed net that ensnares her, she says my name. Gale. Then she's gone.


End file.
